Details of private mission to Mars released, astronauts would fly to within 100 miles of red planet

Today the multimillionaire and first private astronaut released the details of his proposal, dubbed Inspiration Mars, to fly a pair of astronauts to Mars and back in the year 2018. They will come within about 100 miles of the surface of the red planet.

Here, then, is an FAQ to provide an overview of the plan.

When are they going?

January 5, 2018. The entire mission will take 501 days.

Why then?

Because Mars and Earth will be aligned such that, in terms of distance and gravity, a single spacecraft can make a 501-day journey around Mars and back by modifying hardware that already exists or is in advanced stages of development. The sun will also be reaching a minimum, reducing radiation exposure. Such an alignment does not come again until 2031.

The video below shows more details of the alignment that would allow a fast and efficient trip to Mars and back.

Who is going?

Two people, preferably a married couple because a company official said they would likely be most compatible. It’s not clear whether the astronauts will be required to have prior experience in human spaceflight as the qualifications for the astronauts have yet to be determined.

How long will the spacecraft be near Mars?

The closest approach to Mars will be measured in hours, not days. So yes, two astronauts will be spending nearly two years in a small spacecraft for a few hours of gazing upon Mars up close, with human eyes, for the first time. The closest passage will also occur during the Martian night.

What will they fly upon?

The hardware has yet to be selected. However the organization plans to modify spacecraft and rockets that already exist, or are in advanced stages of design. Completely new hardware cannot be built in time for a 2018 launch, and would be prohibitively expensive in any case.

An artist’s rendering of the spacecraft. (Inspiration Mars)

Who is paying and how much will it cost?

Tito hasn’t released a cost estimate. He is personally financing the first two years of the project during which the rocket and spacecraft will be selected, and deals negotiated with private companies and possibly the government. After that the organization hopes to raise funds from philanthropic organizations.

Why go?

Because humans have never been beyond the moon, and sending humans on a long-duration spaceflight would significantly move the bar of human spaceflight forward. It’s also about inspiring people about space, and to demonstrate that America can do difficult things.

What does NASA think?

An official with Inspiration Mars told me the organization already has a Space Act Agreement with NASA’s Ames Research Center to better understand the kind of thermal protection needed to protect the spacecraft when it re-enters Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of nearly 32,000 mph.

The astronauts will come within about 100 miles of the surface of Mars. (Inspiration Mars)

After today’s announcement NASA released a statement attributed to a spokesman, David Steitz:

“This type of private sector effort is further evidence of the timeliness and wisdom of the Obama Administration’s overall space policy and the enthusiasm to tap the innovative spirit of the private sector and share the interest people have in Mars exploration. It’s a testament to the audacity of America’s commercial aerospace industry and the adventurous spirit of America’s citizen-explorers. NASA will continue discussions with Inspiration Mars to see how the agency might collaborate on mutually-beneficial activities that could complement NASA’s human spaceflight, space technology and Mars exploration plans.”

Is Inspiration Mars trying to replace NASA?

No. ”This is one-shot deal,” a company official told me. “We’re building this on low-Earth orbit proven systems that can be modified for this specific mission. This is not a threat to the program of record for NASA and we need a long-term deep space exploration capability. That’s not what we’re doing. What we hope we’re doing is accelerating that process and hopefully creating some public enthusiasm and momentum for getting back to exploration.”

What do you think, Eric?

I think it’s cool. It’s an interesting concept, and it seems like there are a lot of really innovative ideas to jump-start human exploration of space now coming from the private sector. There’s this, there’s Golden Spike and there’s Mars One, and that’s not a comprehensive list. They’re all leveraging private money in different ways — from philanthropy to reality television — and I have no idea if they will work. I do, however, salute them for thinking boldly about exploring space. Given the challenges of these endeavors, I think we’ll be fortunate if one of these plans succeeds but I wish them all well. It certainly makes my job more interesting.